Terrible Things
by TamaraneanOnMars
Summary: "They can't cure it..." She told him between sobs and Wally closed his eyes, pressing his face into her hair and smelling it. It was one if his favorite things about her, her scent. It was like pine. "It's... it's fatal, Wally... I'm going to die..." Character death. Songfic. Song is 'Terrible Things' by Mayday Parade. T because I'm paranoid.


**Oh God feelings ;_;**

**I heard this song and my heart broke. This song though. I wanted to express my love for this song, so I decided to do depressing fanfiction of my OTP.**

**I'm not going to sleep tonight.**

**Title: Terrible Things**

**Characters/Pairings: Wally, Artemis, Spitfire**

**Summary: "They can't cure it..." She told him between sobs and Wally closed his eyes, pressing his face into her hair and smelling it. It was one if his favorite things about her, her scent. It was like pine. "It's... it's _fatal_, Wally... I'm going to _die_..."**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, or any of it's characters.**

* * *

_By the time I was your age, I'd give anything to fall in love truly, was all I could think, _

_that's when I met your mother, the girl of my dreams, the most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen. _

_She said 'Boy, can I tell you a wonderful thing? I can't help but notice you staring at me, _

_I know I shouldn't say this, but I really believe,_

_I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me.'_

_Now, son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things._

* * *

Artemis really was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

When Wally had first met her, she wasn't. He didn't even register that she was female, only noticing that she was annoying and just loved to point out his mistakes. She was mean and he seemed to be the only one to notice, which, of course, made it even worse. She was infuriating - she would always embarrass him in front of M'gann, she would give him nicknames that didn't even make sense, she would just be _Artemis_, and he hated it.

But she soon became beautiful, fantastic, brilliant. She had hair brighter than the sun, eyes deeper than the ocean, a smile sweeter than the sauce he put on his dessert. She was suddenly _Artemis_, the funny, kind girl that was his friend and stuck by him, no matter what he had said to her in the past.

Then, a couple of days before New Years, she had caught him staring at her. Just, staring. Like an idiot. "Wally, I can't help but notice you staring at me." She had told him, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Wally's face had turned to one of horror and he had looked away, embarrassed. When she spoke again, she looked kind of uncomfortable, but also slightly hopeful. "Why are you looking at me like that? Your face looks kinda... uh... I don't know, lo-"

"It's nothing, Arty, really!" He had blurted, interrupting her. She had blinked at him, about to say something else, but there head been a flash and her ponytail had been blown in her face as he ran past her and out of the room with his super speed. Afterwards, they acted like it never happened and Wally was more careful with how he stared at her. Then, after New Years, she had told him what she had seen on his face, in his eyes. She asked if it was true.

And he had responded by saying yes, yes it was.

* * *

_Now, most of the time we'd have too much to drink and we'd laugh at the stars and share everything._

_Too young to notice and too dumb to care, love was a story that couldn't compare._

_I said 'Girl, can I tell you a wonderful thing? I made you a present with paper and string,_

_open with care now, I'm asking you please, you know that I love you, will you marry me?'_

_Now, son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things._

_You'll learn one day, and I hope and I pray that God shows you differently._

* * *

Wally and Artemis's apartment was noisy with the sound of laughter and a boy and a girl from the apartment beside theirs having 'fun' and not being secretive about it.

Not that they cared. They were drunk, of course.

It was a couple of days after Artemis had come back from going undercover on Black Manta's submarine as Huntress, and they were still celebrating. They had disposed of the necklace, disposed of her Huntress costume and basically tried to dispose of everything that had reminded them of her time on that un-Godly ship. Now all that remained was them, two people in love and with an ever-decreasing supply of alcohol.

Artemis laughed as she pulled him outside their apartment and onto the small patch of grass outside (they lived on the ground floor of their apartment building). She had said that she wanted to see the sky again, the sky that was above home, not the sky above the sea, the foreign sky. He eventually agreed, and was sober enough to smile softly at her excitement.

They both lay on the grass, still dressed in their pajamas. They lay on their sides and faced each other and entwined their fingers, laughing at nothing. Artemis shifted her position so that she was lying on her back, in Wally's arms, staring at the sky. She had smiled and pointed at a group of stars. She whispered something to Wally and he didn't really hear it properly, but found it funny anyway and they laughed at the stars. She smiled up at him afterwards, suddenly seeming much more sober. "I really missed you." She had whispered, only just loudly enough for him to hear, as she rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"I missed you too." He answered softly, squeezing her hand. "I hope we never have to do that again."

She nodded lightly, the movement so small, Wally almost missed it. Some of her golden hair tickled his chin, and he smiled even more. She closed her eyes and snuggled into him, and he thought about how much he truly loved her. '_It's the perfect moment._' He told himself, fumbling for something in his pocket. '_Just do it._' He sat up and Artemis sat up so that she wouldn't fall face first in the grass. She looked up at him, confused.

He took a deep breath, and pulled a small box out of his pocket. When he opened it, tears appeared in her eyes and she smiled at him, a smile that was so happy that Wally didn't even need to hear her answer.

Needless to say, she said yes.

* * *

_She said 'Boy, can I tell you a terrible thing?_

_It seems that I'm sick and I've only got weeks._

_Please don't be sad now, I really believe, _

_you were the greatest thing that ever happened to me.'_

* * *

He couldn't believe that they had been called back again.

Did they not know what 'retired' means?

Well, he wasn't actually called back. It was just Artemis. Again. They just couldn't leave her alone, could they? They had a kid to take care of now, for God's sake! Wally had to stay at home and look after Ollie (they had named him after Artemis's mentor, because Ollie had left so many hints when Artemis was pregnant they couldn't say no), telling him that Mommy was okay, she was just out visiting friends. Ollie was only three - he couldn't deal with all the League stuff yet. Plus, Wally wasn't lying completely. Artemis was out fighting Poison Ivy, a terrorist they had fought many times when they had been on the team.

When he had got the call from Dick, he used his super speed for the first time in years.

Wally sped towards Mount Justice, face twisted with horror and disbelief, his mind filled with;' _No, no, nonononononono! There's been a mistake! She cant be - she can't possible be - nonononono!_' Because Artemis couldn't be dead, she couldn't! It was a simple mission - a simple mission to keep citizens safe! It's not supposed to go out of control like that! He remembered the look on Ollie's face when he had left him with a friend he had met in college. He had looked so distraught, all because of Wally's reaction to the phone call. He was just as terrified as Wally was and he didn't even know. What would happen when he told him?

How could he tell his son that Mommy died visiting her friends?

When he burst through the doors of the Mount Justice medical facility, every head in the room turned to him, but he didn't notice. There weren't many people in the room, anyway. Him, Artemis, Dick and M'gann. M'gann was sobbing quietly, Dick with his arms round her shoulders comfortingly as he stared at the ground solemnly. Wally didn't pay them any notice.

Because _she was alive_. She was lying in her bed, hooked up to various machines, the sound of the heart monitor like music to his ears. She smiled at him, but she was pale and he could see ice cold fear in her eyes. He ran for her and his face was overflowing with concern, because Artemis was _scared_. Artemis was never scared. Artemis was strong, she faced her fears and saved feelings such as fear for later, when she was alone or with him. But now she was showing her fear openly, the emotion coming off her in waves. She squeezed his hand and looked at Dick and M'gann. "Can we be alone, please?" She asked quietly, not even attempting at faking strength. Wally stared at her wwith concern and didn't even watch the other two leaving the room.

"Wally," She started, looking into his brilliant green eyes and trying her best not to start sobbing. "I... Something happened... on the mission."

Wally took a deep breath, loosening his grip on her hand and stroking her palm with his thumb. "Dick made it sound like... like you were..."

"Just..." She said quickly, sighing. "Just listen. Poison Ivy was really quick. She was going to attack M'gann and I... I couldn't just let her... so I got in the way. And the plant... it..." She closed her eyes, holding up her arm, which was covered by the long sleeve of her gown. "Just look."

Wally rolled up her sleeve, and felt bile rise in his throat. Almost her whole arm was stained with blood, and just under her joint there was a gaping wound where the plant had hit, cut so deep that bone was showing. It looked like they had tried to clean it and cover it, but it just wouldn't work. It would just keep bleeding. His hands hesitated, but he wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, finally letting herself cry.

"They can't cure it..." She told him between sobs and Wally closed his eyes, pressing his face into her hair and smelling it. It was one if his favorite things about her, her scent. It was like pine. "It's... it's _fatal_, Wally...

"I'm going to _die_..."

* * *

Artemis stayed alive for a week, her body fighting against the poison. It took her a long time to die, but when she did, it was painful. Wally was in Hell, hearing her crying from the pain every night, every day, knowing that he couldn't stop it.

Ollie knew not to ask his Dad about it after he saw Wally break down into sobs in his bedroom that he used to share with Artemis, a hear after her death. He was only four.

* * *

_Slow, so slow, I fell to the ground on my knees. _

_So, don't fall in love, there's just too much to lose._

_If you're given the choice, I'm begging you choose to walk away, walk away, _

_Don't let her get you, I can't bare to see the same happen to you._

* * *

When Ollie was sixteen, he told his Dad about a girl he liked.

He told him that she was blonde, she had large, brown eyes, a smile that brightened her face, wavy hair that reached her waist. She shared his interests and had a great sense of humor. She mocked him in a fond way and hid her emotions sometimes, because she really doesn't want to bother other people with her problems. And he tells his dad about how his insides seem to melt when she speaks, smiles, even just looking in his direction makes his heart leap. He then asks his dad what to do.

Wally wanted so badly to tell his son to walk away, don't fall any deeper. Don't get too attached like he did, because if you have so much, it hurts even more when you loose it. He wanted to tell his son that he never wanted to see him suffer the heartbreak, the emotional trauma that he had to go through. He didn't want him to have to pick himself up, he didn't want to see him put on a fake smile and carry on with his business like the love of his life wasn't gone, hadn't left him.

"Go get 'er." He told him, grinning as Ollie's face lit up, cheeks face so red with excitement that it almost hid his freckles. They were the only thing that he inherited from Wally. He had bright blonde hair and grey eyes that sparkled despite the color that some may say was dull. Wally loved the color. It was the color he had found himself lost in so many times. It was a beautiful color. In fact, when he looked at his son, all he saw was Artemis. Part of him never wanted to look at him again, because he should be over his wife's death now, he shouldn't want the shed a fresh batch of tears when he saw that shade of grey or saw his son's enthusiasm for archery. Another part of him fought past the memories and saw his son, his son that he had seen Artemis hold in her hospital bed, still exhausted from labor but beaming with happiness as she gazed down at her little boy.

She had always wanted a boy.

* * *

_Now son, I'm only telling you this, because life can do terrible things._


End file.
